So you've been stuck with a regular run-of-the-mill desktop
for the past few years because it was all you could afford. Well,
it's time to invest some of that hard-earned money into a
desktop with some pizzazz-something that can handle a big workload
without freezing on you at the most inopportune moments. The
desktops we looked at sparkle, and not just from the sparks that
fly from the high-speed processors. Certainly by the time this goes
to print, these may no longer have the fastest processors
available, so it's important to look at expansion capabilities
when deciding what system is right for you. And be forewarned:
Bundle any of these systems with one of those 18-inch flat-panel
displays, and you may never go home again.

Compaq Deskpro EXS

A 1GHz Pentium III and 133MHz front-side bus power the Compaq
Deskpro EXS. MyWorkspace.com, a built-in configurable portal,
features free e-mail and investment- and portfolio-tracking; it
also offers such business-specific features as easy access to
Headlight.com and e-Stamps.com. 256MB SDRAM and a 20GB SMART Ultra
ATA/100 hard drive are brawny enough to handle a myriad of
applications sans problems. Available in minitower and desktop
configurations, the EXS offers one AGP, two PCIs and many free
bays. An easy-access keyboard and Compaq two-button scroll mouse
come bundled, along with Norton AntiVirus, Norton Utilities and AOL
5.0 and your choice of Windows 95/98SE/00/NT.

MTower SP

The MTower SP can be configured to suit your needs. The system
we looked at has an AMD K7 Athlon 1100MHz processor, one of only
three systems that surpassed the gigahertz mark. A 40GB 7,200 RPM
Ultra ATA100 hard drive and 128MB SDRAM make it comparable to
HP's 1G PC, but for $800 less, you get a faster processor and a
16x DVD-ROM. The MTower SP comes bundled with a CreativeLab Live
Value PCI 3DwaveT sound card, a Logitech InterNet Keyboard and a
Microsoft Intellimouse as well as Windows 98.

Power Mac G4

The Power Mac G4 has two 500MHz PowerPC G4 processors. The G4 is
great for graphics professionals, offering an ATI RAGE 128 Pro
Graphics card and iMovie 2. A built-in 56Kbps V.90 modem card
provides Internet access, and regular networking can be had with
its built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet card; an optional AirPort
for wireless networking is also available. Expansion capabilities
include three PCI slots as well as two FireWire and two USB ports.
A 40GB hard drive and 256MB PC100SDRAM round out the specs.

MicroFLEX 1.1G

The MicroFLEX 1.1G has one of the fastest processors but still
manages to cost less than any of the other systems we looked at. It
offers many of the same goodies, like a CD-RW drive and a 12x DVD
drive. Using an AMD Athlon processor with enhanced cache, 128MB
SDRAM and a 30GB Ultra DMA hard drive, the MicroFLEX offers a good
system at a great price. PCI audio with speakers, a 56Kbps V.90
fax/modem and a 10/100 BaseT Ethernet card come preinstalled. It
also offers expansion capabilities, including 6 PCI slots and one
AGP slot. A Microsoft Natural keyboard and mouse come bundled along
with Windows 98SE.